The Consul's Choice
by MoonNRoses
Summary: Post CoG with MAJOR spoilers. When the Consul sees the person he loves, it throws him back to a memory and a choice that he has made.


**A/N: Hello!!! This is my first fanfic on this site. I absolutely love the Mortal Instruments Series. Of course, I don't own the books or the characters. The only character I made up was Ruth. Some of the quotes are direct quotes from the **_**C**_**i**_**ty of Glass **_**in the chapter Articles of Faith along with the background. It is when Clary does the rune to make everyone see their true love and it is in the Consul's POV with a little something extra. This idea was actually inspired by Cassandra Clare with an answer she gave on her livejournal about the this moment and the Consul. Enjoy!**

Demons were coming, the Clave was in tatters, and Consul Malachi Dieudonne` watched in silent horror as Valentine's daughter through the crowd of feuding Shadowhunters towards the dais in the middle of the Hall. He watched her pause as she took a breath and squeezed the Daylighter's hand. Bile rose in his throat at the sight. If Valentine's plans continued, it would cull out bad Shadowhunter behavior such as that. No worthy Shadowhunter would willingly befriend a Downworlder. That's the way it had been and that's the way it should be. No exceptions.

Then he caught his breath as she climbed the steps and turned towards the crowd. Just what was she up to? Furious, he started to make his way towards the dais to get the girl down. Of course she didn't respect the old ways. No one underage was supposed to be in the Hall. _Stupid girl_, he thought as he started to wave her down and shake his head. "GET DOWN!" he shouted, though he doubted she could hear him over the roar of the crowd. Then suddenly, the crowd turned to her as if in silent accord. She was going on about how she could tell them things that would help against the battle with Valentine. _What foolishness_, he thought as he said, "Ridiculous. This is ridiculous. You're just a little girl-" He was cut off by someone else in the crowd.

She's Jocelyn Fairchild's daughter." He looked at the new voice incredulously. It was Patrick Penhallow. He should have known. The man was harboring the Lightwoods and Valentine's other child, Jonathan Morganstern. "Let the girl say her piece, Malachi."

He looked around the Clave and was surprised to see most of the Clave giving her their rapt attention and whispering amongst one another. He turned to look at the girl. She was looking straight at him with accusation in her green eyes. "You," she said while she stared him down. She accused him of throwing her friend in prison.

"Your friend the vampire?" he asked with a sneer. He was just a Downworlder. Just another reason why these new Shadowhunters had to be taught a lesson. She went on some fantastical explanation on how she could create runes! She must be a liar, just like her father and he said as much.

Then he had to do a double take as the oldest Lightwood child, Alexander, defended her! Another demon lover if he ever saw one! But… there was something to the boy's sincerity that made him wonder. _Could she really_, the Consul thought. "You're lying to protect your friend-" But he was interrupted again by Maryse Lightwood.

He watched, dumbfounded, as Patrick Penhallow gave her his stele. The girl stared hard across the crowd with a faraway look in her eye. Something in him felt wonder as her eyes softened. Then she put the stele to her wrist. When she looked back up, Malachi froze in horror.

There she was, after all these years. Ruth, darling Ruth, looked back at him. Her eyes were as gray as storm clouds and her blond hair fell in a golden cloud. She looked so young and innocent in that moment. Memories of their time together came crashing down him.

_Her face looking up at him with a laugh, their time in training together where she bested him with the bow, and finally, the last time she had looked at him with fear and horror. He had caught her talking to a werewolf man. They had been on patrol with a crowd and he had turned and she was gone._

_So he had followed her into a clearing to see a tall man with raven hair and golden eyes with his hands on Ruth's shoulders. Her expression was soft as she looked up at the werewolf and she clutched his shoulders. Malachi felt rage, pure and blinding rage. A red haze had filled his vision. She had never looked at him like that! She had never clutched his shoulders or gave herself to him in any other way that wasn't in friendship or training! And now she was doing… THIS with a Downworlder!!! Someone who was no better than a demon!_

_When the red haze had cleared, Ruth and the werewolf had laid next one another in a growing pool of blood. Malachi was covered with it and his heart was pounding in fear. What had he done? Ruth was staring up in shock and surprise, her eyes opened eerily and locked on his even in death. He quickly ran as far as he could from the scene. Later, he had said the werewolf had mauled her to death…_

But, really, what happened? He couldn't remember anything but the red haze. And now, his Ruth was looking right at him on that dais. She had come back for her revenge. He looked away in shame.

Shame and guilt dogged the steps of his life. There were no more choices. There was only one path to change the future and that was to create a better race of Shadowhunters. The Clave may not see it, but as surely as he had seen his dear Ruth's face across that Hall, he knew that it was the only thing for him to do. He was still looking away from the girl as he said, "There will be no battle against Valentine. The Clave has decided. We will agree to Valentine's terms and lay down our arms tomorrow morning." Those words felt like lead after he said them that weighed him down. Choices always did.


End file.
